Not Important
by T3hWh1t3P4nth3r
Summary: Draco isn't exactly who everyone thinks he is... Takes place sometime around 6th year. This is Dramione. You no like, you no read. I own nothing. OOCness. giggly!Hermione Epic!Draco rated for language
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: This is a Draco/Hermione fic. I personally see nothing wrong with this pairing, but if for whatever reason you don't like it please DON'T READ IT! This takes place around 6th year, Sirius is not dead, and there is OOCness. Draco is totally epic, and Hermione is more giggly and scattered than usual.(Although, most of this occurs early in the morning before her brain has had enough time to wake up properly) There is a scene later in the fic where Draco is in the shower, but that's really as far as it goes.

Not Important…

"Harry's not doing too well…" Hermione said, worry evident in her voice. "I knew that the Dursley's were horrible, but I never imagined that they would beat him within an inch of his life…"

Ron looked both disgusted and just plan pissed off. "If I EVER see that bastard of an uncle, I swear I'll—"

"You can't kill him, Ron! You'd be sent to Azkaban!" Hermione snapped. The door opened and Arthur Weasley walked in looking quite distressed.

"The members of the Order have been summoned. They should be here soon to help protect Harry." Arthur said hopelessly.

"Dad," Ron started, "That's really not necessary! I mean, this is Harry were talking about! He'll be fine. He'll pull through and—"

"He's too vulnerable right now, Ronald!" Arthur cut in sharply. "He wouldn't be able to handle an attack in the condition he's in…"

"Arthur! They're arriving!" Molly Weasley called up the stairs. Arthur and Ron both went down to greet the arriving members while Hermione stayed up with Harry.

"How is he?" Sirius asked, on the verge of tears.

"Not too good at the present, I'm afraid," Arthur answered solemnly. "But I'm sure he'll be fine, given the proper time…" He began leading them inside the Burrow. Ron was making to follow when he heard the sound of someone apparating.

_'Odd'_ he thought, _' I could've sworn that all the Order members were here already…' _He looked up and saw a hooded figure stalking up the path. "Who are you?!" he bellowed, pulling out his wand. "Take off the hood! Now!" The figure continued up the path, and Ron was sure he heard the figure laughing at him.

"So…" came a voice from under the hood, "How is he?" The voice seemed familiar to Ron, but he couldn't quite place it. He was getting ready to tell the figure to remove the hood once more when the figure scoffed. "Oh, fine. I'll take off the hood, alright?" Elegant, pale hands reached up and flicked the hood off in one swift, fluid motion. Ron could only stare in stunned awe. Standing before him was the last person he had expected, or wanted, to see that night. Though Ron had seen him plenty of times before, he had never looked quite so… surreal. The pale light of the moon made his platinum blonde hair and ivory skin seem more flawless than usual, and it was as if every star reflected in his eyes of quick silver. In Ron's personal opinion, Draco Malfoy looked like a porcelain doll that could be found in an antique store.

It suddenly dawned on Ron that it was Draco-bloody-Malfoy! He seized Draco by the shoulders and threw him up against a tree, pinning him there with one hand while holding a wand to his throat with the other. "What the Bloody Hell are you doing here, Ferret?!" Ron barked, demanding an answer. Draco just smirked. His patience wearing thin, Ron slammed him against the tree again. "Answer me, damn it!"

"I was summoned," Draco responded, coolly.

"I am so sick of your bullshit, Malfoy! You came here to try and attack Harry, didn't you?!" Tonks came out, hearing the commotion. She pulled Ron off of Draco, looking rather frazzled.

"What are you doing, Ron?"

"This git's going to try to attack Harry! After all, he is a member of the—"

"The Order of the Phoenix. Not the Death Eaters, as I'm sure you assume." Lupin called from the doorway, striding out onto the lawn. He was soon followed by other Order members.

Ron's eye grew at least three times in size. "Beg Pardon?" he said, not believing what he had just heard.

"He's one of the Order's best spies. And one of our best kept secrets, as well…" he couldn't help but smirk. "He flawlessly plays the part of the son of Lucius Malfoy. He's rude, cocky, arrogant, weak, childish, and all around a right pain in the arse, but only when he needs to be to keep up appearances. Otherwise, his parents would know that he was keeping something from them."

Ron looked as if his brain had just been set on fire. "So… This isn't the real Draco?"

"No, it IS the real Draco. That's what I'm saying," Lupin explained, "He only acts the way that you know him as because that's the way the son of Lucius is supposed to act. He isn't actually like that though…" He let out a small sigh. "You'll see…" He left it at that.

"I don't trust the git though!" Ron voiced his doubts. "Besides, what good is he to us? What could he possibly do to help protect Harry?" He shot a glare at Malfoy.

"He knows more about the Dark Arts than anyone else here. Even me…" Moody piped in.

"How could that even be possible?" Ron asked, his question addressed straight to Moody, temporarily forgetting that Draco was even there.

"Because I deal with them on a daily basis," Draco answered, getting annoyed with everyone answering for him. Ron turned his attention back to Malfoy, a guarded curiosity in his eyes. Draco smirked, "My father not only wants me to know them for 'when I become a Death Eater' but he also wants me to 'be able to defend myself if they're ever used against me'. That's what he tells me, anyway…" He shrugged. "Personally, I think it's just a way for him to torture me when he gets bored, but doesn't feel like beating me the muggle way…" All eyes turned to him. He shifted, realizing that he had said a lot more than he had intended to.

"What do you mean, "beating you the muggle way"?" Ron asked hesitantly.

"Not important…" Draco pushed past him. "We should probably start setting up the wards now." They all circled the Burrow and began casting protective spells and incantations into the sky. Ron didn't know any really strong ones, so he decided to stay out of the way and watch. He had to admit that he was a little impressed. As the spells were cast, he noticed that Draco's were incredibly bright, much more so than they really should be at his age. Some were different colors, as well, not just the blue/white color. _'Maybe he really is different than I always thought…' _Ron pondered.

An idea popped into his head. "Hey, Malfoy! Come here!" he called out. Draco finished up the spells and walked over to where Ron stood.

"What?" he asked, sounding rather calm given the state of things.

"Are you good with healing charms?" Ron asked. Draco raised an eyebrow in curiosity, but did not speak. Ron led him up through the house to the room where Harry lay unconscious and wounded. Hermione turned to greet Ron when the door opened, but her eyes fell upon Draco first. Without thinking about what she was doing, she crossed the room and smacked him across the face.

Draco looked at Ron with a stunned expression on his features. "What did I even DO?!" Ron was desperately trying not to laugh. He opened his mouth to explain but was cut off when Hermione smacked Draco again.

"What the Bloody Hell are you doing here, Malfoy!?" she spat.

"Wow, dejavu…" the blonde muttered to himself. Hermione raised her hand to smack him again, causing him to flinch and duck behind Ron. When she began to advance on him, she was shocked when Ron blocked her path.

"He's here to help, 'Mione." Ron explained when she looked incredulously at him. "It's kind of a long story…"

"How could HE possibly help?" Hermione emphasized the statement with a bone chilling glare at Draco.

"I'm good with healing charms and protective spells," he said, stepping out from behind Ron.

"I've already tried. There's nothing that YOU could do." She gave him a rather smug yet challenging look, daring him to tell her she was wrong.

"No offense, Granger, but just because you couldn't do anything doesn't mean that I won't be able to." Hermione looked like she was going to attack him with every hex that she knew. He casually walked past her, but kept alert. He knew what she was capable of… He pulled out his wand and knelt beside Harry. "He looks so…broken," he said, more to himself than the other two. He tried a couple different spells, but nothing happened.

"Told you…" Hermione scoffed, sounding like a child.

Draco smirked over his shoulder. "Come on, Granger. You've known me long enough to know that I usually have a trick or two up my sleeve." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small knife. Hermione and Ron were about to jump him, thinking that he was going to hurt Harry, when he pressed the blade into his own palm.

"What are you doing?!" Hermione shrieked when she saw a steady stream of blood pour from his hand.

"Just be patient and watch…" he hissed through clenched teeth, though he seemed far more focused on carving into his palm than on the pain it caused him. He finished, placed his bleeding hand over Harry's heart and muttered an incantation in a language that Hermione didn't recognize. Suddenly, there was a bright purple light surrounding Draco's hand and Harry's body. He pulled away, no sign of the damage he had inflicted moments before remaining. Ron's jaw hit the floor: Harry looked as good as new.

"How did you do that?" Hermione asked after a long, stunned silence.

"It's old magic. They don't teach it at school…"

"How did you learn how to do that, then?" Ron asked

"Not important…" Draco said, standing up and putting his knife back into his pocket. "We should head back downstairs to see if the Order has decided anything yet." With that, he slid past them and descended the staircase silently.

"What the Hell…" Ron muttered. "What is he hiding?"

"What do you mean?" Hermione looked at him.

"I asked him a question earlier, and he dodged that one too…" They exchanged quick glances. However brief, it was enough to tell that neither one trusted Draco yet. They went down the stairs slowly, so as not to make a lot of noise on the old creaky stairs. They weren't sure if a meeting was going on or not.

"How does the slick git do it?" Ron whispered. "I mean, he was moving pretty quick, but I didn't hear a damn thing. He's like a bloody shadow or something…"

"Don't know…" Hermione shrugged. "It must be a useful skill to have given his… lifestyle, I suppose. Having to spy on people and whatnot…"

"Exactly. He spies on people. Who's to say that he's not just fooling with the Order? Sneaky and Slytherin kinda go hand in hand. Not to mention that he's a Malfoy. He's quiet and, as much as I hate to admit it, he knows… things…"

"Things?" Hermione raised her eyebrows. "What kind of 'things'?"

"I don't know!" Ron slumped against the wall. "I get the feeling that he knows something, but I don't know what! It's gonna drive me MAD!"

Mrs. Weasley came out of the kitchen, hearing Ron's little outburst. "Ron! Hermione! You have to go back upstairs. The Order is having a meeting. Now, go on!" She shooed them back up the stairs, Ron grumbling the whole way. They split off, going to their own rooms and crawling into bed, though neither was able to find sleep until well past midnight.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: This chapter and the next are mainly about having a special moment (more like 10 special moments) between Draco and Hermione. The next one will be the same chapter, but Draco's POV. Reviews are always appreciated. Enjoy!

Chapter 2

*Hermione's POV*

Early the next morning Hermione stirred from a troubled sleep. She looked at her clock, which read 4:45 am, and groaned. "Seriously…" She rolled out of bed, planning to go downstairs and watch the sun rise. As she left her room, she saw another door swing shut. She quietly crept over to the slightly ajar door. Curiosity getting the better of her, she opened it a crack wider without a sound. She quickly threw her hand over her mouth to keep from gasping. The room, she discovered, was the guest room currently being used by Draco Malfoy.

_"Too early…" _Hermione thought, _"Too early for this… Brain not completely awake… Bad thoughts… Can't process… Wow, he's hot." _She peeked back through the crack in the door. _"He must've just taken a shower. His hair is still wet."_ She simply couldn't help but stare at him. All he had on was a pair of jeans, and he was just putting on a belt. His upper body was completely exposed, revealing his slender yet muscled form. _"Oh, he HAS to do more than just quidditch… his body is WAY better than Harry's…"_ She compared the two boys in her mind's eye.

"Enjoying the view?" Draco said in a level tone, not even looking at the door. Hermione tensed slightly when he tossed a seductive sideways glance at her through his platinum fringe.

"Umm… I just… I was going to…" she stuttered, opening the door completely now.

"You wanted to know whose room it was. Who was mad enough to be up before 5 in the morning," Draco cut in. "No harm done, so relax," he added with a smirk.

"You—You aren't upset?" Hermione was slightly confused. "I mean, I kind of invaded your privacy, like, a lot."

"It's fine," he said, "If you had come about five minutes earlier though, that would have been a different story. I think it's safe to say, that would have been a little awkward for both of us." He sat on the edge of his bed. Hermione blushed and nodded her agreement.

"How did you know that I was there?" she asked, wanting desperately to change the subject.

"I could hear you," he said.

"But I didn't make a sound. How could you have possibly—"

"I can hear things that most people can't…"

"Vague. So… What? You have super-hearing or something like that?"

"Yeah… Something like that…"

Hermione rolled her eyes, realizing that she wasn't going to get anywhere with this conversation. "Why are you awake so early?"

"I was just about to ask you the same…"

She was getting annoyed with this little game of his. "Couldn't sleep. Too much on my mind, you know? Your turn."

"Early riser by nature, or maybe it's habit…" he shrugged. "Either way…" Hermione went to sit next to him and he suddenly shifted, making it so she couldn't see his back. She brushed it off as a Malfoy-thing. But then her eyes fell upon the mirror behind him.

"What happened to you?" she asked, her hand clasped over her mouth. Draco whipped his head around and glared at the mirror that had betrayed his secret. His back was covered with scars as well as fresh gashes and bruises.

He looked back at Hermione. "It's not important…"

"You know what, Malfoy! I'm getting really sick of that goddamn catch phrase of yours!" Her eyes were filled with a burning intensity, but it wasn't the usual disdain for the blonde. It was concern. "Tell me." The tone of her voice told him that it wasn't exactly an order, but Draco thought that she deserved the truth for once.

After a moment's hesitation, he finally found his voice and spoke up. "It's just my father." Hermione's eyes widened, but she nodded, signaling him to go on. "Well," he started, "he gets angry. At everything. And I let him take it out on me…"

"Why?!"

"Because if I don't, he'll go after my mother and the house-elves. He's already come close to killing Dobby on multiple occasions and I can't bear to watch it anymore. And I don't want him anywhere NEAR my mother. If I let him do it to me, then both problems are solved. He doesn't hurt mum, and I don't have to see or hear it." He pulled on a plain, black long-sleeved shirt as he spoke, as if it were a completely normal conversation to be having.

"Draco! While I think it's rather admirable of you to sacrifice yourself for your mother and Dobby, you can't let him keep doing this to you. He could kill you…" Her eyes began brimming with tears.

Draco knelt in front of Hermione, who was still on the bed and crying freely now. "Won't happen," he put one hand on her shoulder and tilted her face to look into his with the other. "Trust me," he said sweetly, smiling lightly, trying to comfort her. She gave a weak smile in return.

"I think that's the first time I've ever actually seen you smile," she giggled, wiping the tears from her eyes. "You have a really nice smile…" she added shyly. Her stomach gave a quiet rumble. She wrapped her arms around her waist, embarrassed.

Draco stood, chuckling, and extended his hand to her. "Come on," he said, "We've still got a few hours before the others wake up. I'll make us some breakfast."

"YOU can cook?" she asked, taking his hand.

"Shocking, I know." They left the room. "So, what'll you have?" he asked when they finally reached the kitchen.

"I don't know…" she giggled.

"Well, what sounds good?" he asked, leaning up against the counter.

"Umm… I don't know… Pancakes?"

"OK. Pancakes it is then..." He set about trying to find where everything was. Hermione laughed as he opened cupboard after cupboard with no luck. After about 5 minutes of searching, he had finally found what he needed. As he was making the batter, he decided to show off a bit and began juggling the eggs, much to Hermione's delight. She started laughing again.

He stopped juggling and looked at her. _"He's got really pretty eyes…" _ Hermione thought.

"You know what?" he said smoothly. "I really like it when you laugh. I like making you laugh."

"Funny," she smiled, "Because I like you making me laugh, too."

Draco finished making the pancakes and put on some tea. They ate breakfast, talked, laughed, and waited for the sun to rise together.


	3. Chapter 3

Authors note: Draco's POV. Same storyline basically, but a few twists… Reviews are always appreciated. Enjoy!

Chapter 3

*Draco's POV*

The meeting was finally over. "Ridiculous…" he muttered to himself as he shut the door behind him. "2:30 is far too late for a meeting to get over." He sat on his bed and sighed, "Not that I've been sleeping that much lately anyway…" He ran his fingers through his hair. He fell back onto the bed, but instantly shot back up. "DAMN!" he hissed in pain. He took off his shirt and saw that blood had already seeped through it. "Shit…" He got up and looked at his reflection in the mirror. His back was covered in bruises and deep gashes, some of which had reopened and were now busy painting his back crimson.

He sighed, "Better go take a shower." Grabbing his towel, he made his way down the hall to the bathroom. He turned the water on and steam filled the room as he stripped off his remaining garments. He let out a sharp hiss when the water stung into his wounds. But soon the stinging pain turned to a warm caress that soothed his aching body.

When he finally shut off the water, he realized that he had been standing under the stream for 2 hours. _"Wow,"_ he thought, _"That's ridiculous even for ME!" _He was notorious for taking long showers. He dried his arms, legs, and torso, but took care to be gentle as he dried his back. He wrapped his towel around his waist and reached for his clothes, but they weren't there. "Gotta be the Twins' doing…" he muttered irritably. "They hate me… and, to be fair, I hate them too. So, all is right with the world." He rolled his eyes.

He made his way back down the hall to his room. _"Thank god I'm the only one mad enough to be up this early…" _he thought. The door caught on the edge of the carpet as he shut it behind himself. Unaware of this, Draco removed his towel and began getting dressed. He had just pulled on his jeans when he saw the door open out of the corner of his eye. _"Too late,"_ he thought, smirking, _"Missed the show."_ He heard a muffled gasp

_"Well then," _he schemed, _"Let's see what's going on in your mind…"_ A little known fact about Draco: not only had he mastered Occlumancy, but he was quite skilled in Legillemancy as well. Hearing peoples' thoughts could come in handy sometimes.

He was amused by what he heard. _'Too early… Too early for this... Brain not completely awake… Bad thoughts… Can't process…" _He had to try very hard not to laughed, but he was caught completely off guard, _'…Wow he's hot…"_

_ "Oh, really?" _He thought. _"Odd. I could've sworn that it was Granger's voice… But maybe not…" _He considered the thought for a moment and started listening again. _'He has to do more than just quidditch. His body is WAY better than Harry's…" _He had heard enough. He was curious as to who it was, deciding that it being Granger was completely ridiculous.

"Enjoying the view?" he asked without looking at the door. She flinched, most likely startled by being caught. Again, he had to repress his laughter. He shot a glance at the door, his hair obscuring his eyes ever so slightly.

"Umm… I just… I was going to…" she stammered, opening the door.

"You wanted to know whose room it was. Who would be mad enough to be up before five in the morning." He cut in, voicing the thoughts that Hermione couldn't seem to organize. He could tell she was worried. "No harm done, so relax," he smirked.

"You—You aren't upset?" she asked, slightly confused. "I mean, I kind of invaded your privacy, like, a lot."

"It's fine," he said, praying that she wouldn't pick up on his nervousness. "If you had come about 5 seconds earlier though, that would've been a different story. I think it's safe to say, that would've been a little awkward for both of us." He took a seat on the edge of the bed. Hermione blushed and nodded her head in agreement. She was still in her pajamas and Draco had to admit, she looked pretty cute.

"How did you know I was there?" she asked, clearly trying to change the subject.

"I could hear you."

"But I didn't make a sound. How could you have possibly—"

"I can hear things that most people can't."

"Vague. So…What? You have super-hearing or something like that?"

"Yeah… Something like that…" He didn't want her to know that he could read minds. Not yet, anyway.

She rolled her eyes, looking annoyed by his answer. "Why are you awake so early?"

"I was just about to ask you the same…" he enjoyed this little game…

"Couldn't sleep. Too much on my mind, you know? Your turn."

"Early riser by nature, or maybe it's habit." He was used to waking up early. It was the only time that he didn't have to worry about his father or the other Death Eaters coming after him… "Either way…" he shrugged. She walked over and sat next to him. Without thinking, he shifted so that she wouldn't be able to see his back. _"Idiot!"_ he thought, "_now she'll KNOW that you're hiding something…"_ She didn't say anything. Instead, her eyes fell on the mirror behind him and she let out a gasp.

"What happened to you?" she cried, raising a hand to her mouth.

He snapped his head around and glared at the mirror. _"Damn you!"_ he thought. "It's not important…" he said, hoping that she would just drop the issue.

"You know what, Malfoy! I'm getting really sick of that goddamn catch phrase of yours!" she looked at him, her eyes filled with burning emotion.

"_She looks more worried than mad… Interesting…"_ he thought.

"Tell me." She said.

"_I've been an arse to her for the past 6 years. I owe her an answer at the very least…"_ Draco thought. He hesitated. "It's just my father…" Hermione's eyes got wider, but she urged him to continue. "Well… he gets angry. At everything. And I let him take it out on me."

Hermione was shocked. "Why?!"

"Because if I don't he'll go after my mother and the house-elves. He's already come close to killing dobby on multiple occasions, and I can't bear to see it anymore." He suddenly got very protective. "And I don't want him anywhere NEAR my mother. If he does it to me, then both problems are solved. He doesn't hurt mum and I don't have to see it or hear it." He grabbed a plain, black long-sleeved and slid it on while he spoke. _"I'm used to it,"_ he thought bitterly

"Draco! While I think it's rather admirable of you to sacrifice yourself to protect your mother and Dobby, you can't let him keep doing this to you… He could kill you…" She choked at the end, her eyes brimming with tears.

Draco knelt in front of Hermione, still sitting on the bed. She was crying freely now. "Won't happen…" He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and tilted her face up to look into his. "Trust me…" He gave a sweet smile, trying to offer her some form of comfort. She smiled weakly back.

"I think that's the first time I've ever actually seen you smile…" she giggled, wiping the tears from her eyes. "You have a really nice smile," she added, looking like a young girl: shy and timid, but sincere. Her stomach gave a rumble. Looking quite embarrassed, she wrapped her arms around her waist.

Draco stood, not even trying to suppress his laughter, and extended his hand to her. "Come on. We've still got a few hours before the others wake up. I'll make us some breakfast."

Hermione looked impressed. "YOU can cook?" She accepted his hand and they began to leave the room.

"Shocking, I know," he threw her a sly smile over his shoulder.

"So, what'll you have," he asked when they reached the kitchen.

"I don't know," she giggled

"Well, what sounds good?" he asked, leaning himself up against the counter. _"She's been giggling a lot… I wonder…"_

"Umm… I don't know… Pancakes?" she more asked than answered.

"OK," he clapped his hands together, "Pancakes it is then..." He looked around, not sure where anything was. _"Hmm… Where do I start?"_ He began randomly opening cupboards, letting out a triumphant 'Aha!' when he found something he needed. Hermione was laughing at him the whole time.

_"Hope I still remember how to do this…" _he thought as he started to juggle the eggs. Hermione's laughter filled the room and made Draco feel warm and happy.

He managed to catch all the eggs and looked at Hermione. _"She's got really pretty eyes…" _he thought. "You know what? I really like it when you laugh. I like making you laugh." His eyes were glued to hers and a smile was playing at his lips.

"Funny," she blushed slightly, "Because I like you making me laugh too." Draco's heart skipped a beat. He finished making the pancakes and put a plate in front of Hermione. He had a cup of tea.

"Aren't you going to eat?" she asked.

"Not real big on breakfast," he shrugged, taking a sip of his tea. Hermione turned and looked out the window. Wondering if she would notice, Draco ripped off a bit of her pancake, but she turned around sooner than he had anticipated. He popped the piece into his mouth.

"Hey! I thought you said you weren't big on breakfast." He just laughed. Hermione rolled her eyes and playfully swatted his arm. "Jerk," she muttered.

They were laughing and talking as if they were old friends. _"This'll be the best sunrise ever…"_ Draco mused as they grabbed sweatshirts and headed out onto the porch to wait for it.


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry, sorry… I know I haven't posted in ages, but in my defense… ok, I really have no defense… just promise not to beat me with a banana and make me eat the mushy bits, k?

Author's note: k, so this is the final chapter. I'm sure some of u – well likely, most of u – won't like the ending. *holds up hands defensively* But don't freak out! I am working on a sequel

Summary: FIGHT SCENE!

Disclaimer: I own everything! THIS IS A LIE! As much as I love to mess with the story and characters, I sadly do not own them… But that's ok, because J.K is so wonderful that she lets us do what we want with them here. Yay! Anyway, ON WITH THE STORY! Enjoy!

"Should be soon," Hermione said. She and Draco were sitting on the front steps. There was a fog hanging just above the ground that gave the landscape a surreal atmosphere, as if it were all a dream. She looked over at Draco. He had a faint smile on his lips. _'I really like seeing him smile…' _she thought. They sat in companionable silence, both calm and content, for what seemed like ages. Suddenly, Draco tensed up and a very serious expression sprang to his face. He stood up and whipped out his wand.

"Get inside!" he told her, his voice holding a dangerous edge. "We're being attacked!" As if on cue, a red bolt of light streaked toward them, breaking through the wards with ease. Draco deflected it and spun to look at her. "Go, Hermione! Now!" He flicked up the hood of his black sweatshirt and turned back to where the spell had come from.

She shot back through the front door, nearly tripping on the rug. She felt like she was having a panic attack, her mind racing as fast as her heart. _'What if they hurt Draco? They could end up killing him!" _She ran to her room and snatched up her wand from the bedside table. _'I have to help him!"_

She dashed down the stairs and made a break for the door. She found herself being pulled, at the last second, into the living room by The Twins.

"You can't go out there, Hermione! It's too dangerous!" they said in their usual way: unison.

"I don't care!" she said, desperately trying to break free of their grasp. "Draco's out there! He could die!"

"What's going on?" Lupin asked as he descended the stairs. The Twins had released Hermione and hurried to the window, followed quickly by Lupin. The four were soon joined at the window by Mrs. Weasley and Tonks. The three women pushed their way to the front, to get a better look, and let out a simultaneous gasp. Lupin ran to wake the other members of the Order. Three of the fastest Death Eaters had already emerged from the fading fog. They were wildly casting spells in one particular direction: where Draco was standing. He was furiously trying to dodge and counter the spells, but he couldn't get a good rhythm with the fight. The styles that his attackers fought with were too unpredictable. He felt frantic, though he knew, even without the hood on, it would have been impossible to really tell.

A spell that felt like a razor's edge slashed into his side. He faltered slightly and cried out as he was hit square in the chest by another blast. He was thrown a good ten feet, the impact of hitting the ground stealing the breath from his body. He forced himself to take in a very painful breath. He rolled over onto his hands and knees, coughing once his air had recovered. _'Come on…' _he thought. _'You have to keep breathing. You have to stand up and keep fighting…'_ He tried to stand, but was met instantly by a sharp kick to his side: the same side that had been sliced into. He gasped in pain and could feel a trail of blood running from the corner of his mouth.

"I don't know who you are," hissed the voice of his attacker, "But in a couple of minutes, it won't matter anymore." There was a deranged cackling and Draco knew exactly who it was: his Aunt Bellatrix.

Hermione couldn't take it anymore. She snapped out of her trance and raced towards the door, The Twins right behind her. Each cast a curse at the three unsuspecting Death Eaters, knocking them to the ground, temporarily stupefied. Hermione sprinted to Draco's side. He was bleeding heavily and shaking, both from the cold and the pain. "Draco…" Tears were rolling down her cheeks.

He gave a weak laugh. "Don't get all worked up. I'm fine." He slowly sat up, looking at her. "Let's go," he said, standing a bit shakily and offering his hand to her once more. She accepted it and they took off towards the house, hand-in-hand.

"We have to fight back!" Draco told the Order, now in the living room. Majority of them were shocked by what was taking place. "Get your wands ready. More are surely coming."

Mrs. Weasley walked up to him. "Mr. Malfoy, you are bleeding!"

"Not important," he cut in. "What is important is that we defend the Burrow while Harry remains unconscious. He's helped us so many times, we _owe_ it to him." Several members nodded their approval as they charged out of the house, ready to fight until the end. The three stunned Death Eaters began to stir and more were now at the edge of the field. _"And so it begins…"_ Draco thought, smirking under his hood.

Without hesitation, the horde charged the house. Draco's was the first spell fired, and it nailed its target in the face. An epic battle ensued. Spells of all colors flew through the sky. The ground exploded all around, sending Death Eaters and Order members alike careening through the air. But, in all the chaos, there was a moment of stillness, intricately laced with tension. Draco and Bellatrix had their wands locked on each other. Though the others continued to duel, there was an air of curiosity and eyes would dart over to catch even the smallest glimpse of the action. There was an intense calm surrounding the two. Bellatrix was quick to break it.

"Who are you, anyway?" she asked, keeping her wand trained on the hooded figure before her.

He smirked, his face cast in shadow. "You're kind of defeating the purpose," he said in a rough voice so she wouldn't recognize him. "If I wanted you to know who I was, I wouldn't be wearing the hood, now would I?"

Bellatrix's eyes flashed dangerously. "You're a smart-ass, just like my nephew." She glared at him. "He's been trained to watch his tongue." She laughed, remembering how Lucius had beaten his son for being disrespectful. "Looks like it's your turn." She fired three fast spells in a row at Draco, but he was ready for it. He dodged two of them and countered the last. Needless to say, Bellatrix was pissed. Draco shot a blaze of bright purple flame at her. She narrowly avoided it, the hem of her dress singed and smoking. There was a moment of stunned silence, Bellatrix glaring daggers at Draco.

"Crucio –"

"Sectum Sempra –"

The spells flew simultaneously through the air, colliding in a violent explosion. A shock wave spread across the grounds, knocking Draco, Bellatrix, and those fighting nearby off their feet. Draco recovered quickly, pulling the hood, knocked off by the force of the blast, back over his head. He glided over to where Bellatrix lay, pointing his wand at her heart.

"Do I at least get to learn the identity of the one who bested me?" she asked bitterly, trying as hard as she could to make out the details of the face concealed by shadow.

"No," he spoke softly but dangerously. Bellatrix reached for her wand that lay discarded next to her. A shot rang out. A hair away from her finger tips smoldered the remains of a crooked wand. "Now leave. Go back to that cowardly bastard you call 'master'. Tell him all about how you failed him miserably… again." His voice was laced with venom and ice. "Oh, and let him know that he won't be seeing your nephew – Draco, is it? – any time soon. Or ever again, for that matter."

Bellatrix stiffened, looking shocked. "You… You didn't… Did you?"

"Run along now, before you share his fate."

Bellatrix stood, suddenly frantic. "Death Eaters! Fall back! You heard me, retreat!" They turned and ran from the house, disapperating as they went. The Order members ran to the edge of the field, whooping and cheering at their victory. Hermione grabbed Draco's hood and pulled it off, chuckling when he jumped. "Are you hurt?" she asked.

He turned and looked right into her eyes. "Not important…" He leaned in and placed a chaste kiss upon her lips. She simply stared when he pulled away.

"I'm sorry…" he said a bit sheepishly, a hand reaching up to the back of his neck. "I guess I got a little carried away. Caught up in the moment and all that… Wow, that must've been horrible for you. I mean, I've always been a complete arse to you and your friends and –"

Hermione cut in on his rambling with a kiss of her own: one filed with passion. She wrapped her arms around his neck; he wrapped his arms around her waist. Ron looked over, went red in the face and made his way back to the house, sputtering and cursing under his breath. He ran into Harry at the door.

"Whoa!" Harry almost fell over at the sight of one of his best friends snogging his worst enemy. He looked at Ron. "What the bloody hell did I miss!?"

Ron, still infuriated, replied, "Well, he… and then she… and now they… AGH!" He threw his hands into the air and pushed past Harry.

"What?" Harry was incredibly confused. "Maybe Ginny can fill me in…"

Note: So? What did you think? I would really like to know… and a great way to do that is REVIEWS. Pwease? If u don't, Draco will be very sad…

Draco: Why are you bringing me into this?

Me: Hush you

Draco: (Quite indignant) Well then…

So, reviews yeah?


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